21.10.03

GayMiddleEast.com News

The recent 22nd annual conference of InterPride - The International Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered Pride Coordinators - has voted to accept the bid of the Jerusalem Open House to host WorldPride
2005 in the Holy City.  Over 150 delegates from 51 cities from around the world attended the conference, hosted by Divers/Cite, in Montreal, Canada.

Jerusalem WorldPride 2005 will be the second ever WorldPride event, following Rome WorldPride 2000.  The major theme planned for the event is Love Without Borders - a theme central to the JOH vision highlighted on
previous Jerusalem Pride events.

JOH Executive Director, Hagai El-Ad, expressed his hope that "Love without Borders: Jerusalem WorldPride 2005 will bring a new focus to an ancient city through a massive demonstration of LGBT dignity, pride, and boundary-crossing celebration.  In these times of intolerance and suspicion, from the home of three of the world’s great religions, we will proclaim that love knows no borders."   He added: "In the 22 months leading towards Jerusalem WorldPride in August 2005 we are committed to work closely
together with InterPride, the American Friends of the Jerusalem Open House and a broad coalition of Israeli and international NGOs in order to insure that WorldPride 2005 will fulfill our vision for a message of optimism, tolerance and hope from Jerusalem."

Jerusalem WorldPride 2005 will gather Israelis, Palestinians and people from all over the world to bring a message that is needed throughout the Middle East and beyond: that human rights transcend cultural and ethnic boundaries,
that differences can be respected peacefully, and that love knows no borders. WorldPride 2005 will bring thousands to Jerusalem to confront preconception with reality, prejudice with an opportunity for understanding,
in a way that will capture the attention of the world.

Jerusalem WorldPride 2005 will be organized by the Jerusalem Open House (JOH). The JOH provides direct services to the local LGBT community, and advocates for social change to promote tolerance and pluralism in Jerusalem.
The JOH was founded in 1997 as a non-profit agency, and in the space of a few years it has become one of the Middle East’s leading LGBT service and advocacy organizations.

InterPride began in 1981 when lesbian and gay pride organizers met during a leadership conference. Today, more than 18 million people attend events planned by the over 75 InterPride member organizations. The conference is held in a different city each year.

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